Jun 4 - ready to roll

I did get out for a bike ride, cutting it slightly short at 100km (62 miles), rather than my usual 70 miles.  It was cool out, under 60f and I was very slightly underdressed.  I could have used head covering.  Rain threatened but I wasn't worried because I had my rain jacket in my pack ... wait !  No rain jacket !  Luckily all it did was sprinkle a little.

What with packing and wanting to go into town for the mail, the day was a rush.  As I rode, I started thinking about the darn bike box ... what are the dimensions anyway ?  Is there a way to get it into the car and not bring the trailer ?  Hmmm.   When I got home, even before doing anything else, I got out the tape measure ... yes, could work.

The box is about 31" x 50".  It's too long to go sideways in the back of the X5.  The old X5 had 48" at the very back, narrowing quickly to 43".  The 2011 is 43" the whole way.  The height looked like it might accommodate the box on its side but the seat slopes up so I'd have to use the actual box to test.

I packed the bike, never a quick exercise and the first time that I've done it with the Luxos U mounted.  I didn't want to disturb all its wiring.  In the past, I've removed the lights entirely.  So ... disconnect the wired tail-light which is mounted on the rack, off with the seatpost, rack, pedals, undo the stem from the handlebars and into the bike box.  Unscrew the rear derailleur.  Pack everything in, hope that airport security doesn't disturb everything.  Remind oneself again that I should have custom fit pieces of foam cut so that this is a standard process, not willy-nilly.

Sandy, meanwhile had taken the car over to see Bonnie, bringing some of the Grandma Plant.  That's a story unto itself, not being repeated right now.  She knew my deadline and was back just in time for me to leave for town and the mail ... but before that, we got the bike box into the car ... victory !  Lying down, on its side, 1/3 seat down, Abby gets the 2/3 area.  We don't have to bring the trailer !

Heading to town, I saw that someone had left the dump gate open so I drove in there, dropped off my garbage and locked the gate on the way out.  Come to think of it, my dump key is still in the X5 ... have to remember that !

I got the mail, there were only a couple of pieces, and headed back to the cottage.  I hadn't been home 1/2 hour and Jim showed up with mail ... ah ha, that's why there wasn't much mail !  He had gone to Powassan with his sister Sally and brother-in-law Al and picked up mail on the way, not knowing if he'd be back in time to pick it up.  Sure enough he would have missed the 4pm close of the Post Office.

Once home I went to bring the trailer back up to the barn, figuring that it would be payback time and the 4-wheeler wouldn't start ... but it did and everything is now in the barn.  I pulled the bike and trailer straight in so hopefully it starts easily when we get back.  

On with packing ... wheeled duffel, load that up and weigh it ... good.  Oh yes, I'd weighed the bike box as well but it's always ok ... sure enough, 48 pounds vs the 50 pound limit.  Sandy's bag comes closer to the limit than the wheeled duffel.  She's got cereal and coffee all packed in hers.  Both those bags are in the car at this point, leaving our carry-on's.  I'll put a few more things in the duffel once we're in Hemmingford.

Weight is never a problem coming back home because we consume food items in our travels.  I'll be using up gels and bars, lightening the duffel and we will go through cereal and coffee.  Both bags will be lighter.

I continued organizing and packing; I have such a load of electronics that I'm going to be in trouble there, space-wise; need to move some of that to my green clothes bag carry-on and thus some of the clothes to the checked duffel.  Perhaps I'll bring the scale to Hemmingford with us so that I can do a last weight check.

I initiated all the normal computer backups other than the full W7 backup that's happening as I type this into Linux.  We had stuffed trout for dinner.  Bonnie came over shortly afterwards and checked her email.  She still doesn't have a date for her installation; hopefully that will be nailed down shortly.

I was keyed up and couldn't resist watching The Breakfast Club until 11pm ... silly ... and then up at 4:30 this morning.   That full W7 backup has now completed and I'm back typing in W7 vs Linux.  I'll bring that full backup with me to Hemmingford.

We hope to get away around 8am thus getting into Hemmingford in good time. 

We'll see ... onward !